2020 Virtual MFA Summer Residency

Get Excited! The Ashland University 2020 MFA Summer Residency is going virtual this year. From July 13 - 31st, we’re hosting workshops, readings, panels, craft classes, open mics, and more--all from the safety and comfort of your home. More at ashlandmfa.blogspot.com

Didion Secures Position at KDRV

May 2020 Digital Media Journalism graduate Samantha Didion will start her professional media career on June 1. Samantha will relocate across the country to Medford, Oregon where she will be a reporter and producer for KDRV TV. At Newswatch 12, she will report on stories of local interest.

2020 Senior Art + Design Exhibition Awards Announced

Congratulations to Ashland University Senior Art + Design Exhibition Award Winners:

• Kiana Ziegler was selected as the senior exhibition award recipient by the AU Art + Design department faculty for her fall semester BFA painting exhibition titled "Meditation on the Flesh".
• The honorable mention award was presented to Rachel Brooks, a digital art major with a minor in creative writing for her digital art and animation works titled "Grandpa’s Attic".
  

Prophets of Zoom at AU: Jemar Tisby, Michelle Higgins, and Seth Wispelwey

Historian Jemar Tisby was scheduled to speak at Ashland University in Peter Slade's class REL340 Religion and the Civil Rights Movement; that was until the Coronavirus cancelled all events and moved all classes online.

Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, kindly agreed to speak to the class on Zoom.

"It went so well," said Slade, "that it occured to me that there were other people I would love my students to meet and learn from." He invited Rev. Michelle Higgins, the founder of Faith for Justice in St. Louis, and Rev Seth Wispelwey, one of the organizers of Congregate Charlottesville. Both kindly agreed to show up.

Recordings of the classes are available for anyone to watch -- click on the titles to go to the videos (Slade apologizes for his limited Zoom skills):

1. Reconsidering Racial Reconciliation - A Conversation with Jemar Tisby

2. Six Years Since Ferguson - A Conversation with Michelle Higgins

3.  . . . since Charlottesville - A Conversation with Seth Wispelwey

Senior Art + Design Exhibition Switches to Online Format

The Ashland University Coburn Gallery will again host the Senior Art + Design Exhibition, though the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated moving the show to an online format.

The exhibition, featuring artworks created by graduating seniors in the Department of Art and Design, will open April 30 via the Gallery’s Facebook page.

This year’s virtual exhibition will run through May 9 and includes graphic design, illustration, sculpture, digital art, painting and video.

Senior Art + Design Exhibiting artists include Halle Sanford, Michael Wolfrum, Rachel Brooks, Allie Hamilton, Robby Young, Graydon Flynn, Jackson Bay and Sophi Cudworth.

Read more at news.ashland.edu

CAS Sweeps Excellence in Scholarship

The winner of this year's Ashland University Excellence in Scholarship Award is Dr. Craig Hovey, Professor of Religion.

The two semi-finalists are Dr. Chris Chartier, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Dr. John Moser, Professor of History.

The award, which consists of a medal to be worn with regalia and a $3,000 honorarium, recognizes AU faculty who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship. All AU faculty who have completed their third-year review (with the exception of past recipients and Trustees’ Distinguished Professors) may be nominated for the award.

To qualify, a faculty member’s scholarship must be demonstrated by outstanding scholarly contributions, including scholarly written work, creative work and other scholarly distinctions.

Hovey, who also is the director of the Ashland Center for Nonviolence, joined the faculty in 2009 and teaches courses in Christian theology and ethics, including the religion courses Exploring the Bible, Exploring Christian Ethics, Faith and Society, Exploring Christian Theology, Taking Human Life, Political Theology and Seminar in Christian Theology.

Chartier, who also is the founder and director of the Psychological Science Accelerator, came to AU in 2013. He teaches courses in General Psychology I, Research Methods, Advanced Research Methods and Social Psychology and has been published in research journals such as Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. His research interests include tacit coordination and pro-social behavior.

Moser chairs the Master of American History and Government program. He joined AU in 2001 and teaches courses on modern European, American and East Asian history, including Western Civilization to 1500, Western Civilization since 1500, Renaissance and Reformation, Age of Revolution and Reaction, 20th Century Europe, Modern East Asia, and World War II . Moser has published several books and numerous works on subjects ranging from comic books to Japanese foreign policy.

Randall-Griffiths Named 2020 Taylor Award Recipient

Ashland University’s Dr. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths, professor of communication studies and director of the online of communications studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of AU’s 2020 Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award.

AU Provost, Dr. Amiel Jarstfer, explains the honor of receiving this award is an outstanding accomplishment as the nominees are recognized by one's colleagues for effective teaching.

Dr. Randall-Griffiths was nominated by her colleague of more than 25 years, Dr. Daniel O'Rourke, who praised her work saying, "From the first time I observed Dr. Randall-Griffiths in the classroom, I knew that she was a passionate advocate for the art of Communication who most effectively shares her message with students. I have learned much from Dr. Randall-Griffiths as a colleague, co-author, and friend. Over the years, I have “stolen” numerous ideas from her lessons... (she) lives to teach. She teaches in the classroom, her office, online, in the community, the state, and, recently, she has added a national component to her educational work."

Elaborating on her passion for the classroom, O'Rourke states, "Dr. Randall-Griffiths actually listens to her students. Teaching is an interactive conversation for Dr. Randall-Griffiths. In her classes, students become co-authors in the lesson plan. No two classes are exactly alike because each collection of students create a new dynamic in the classroom."

"In recent years, Dr. Randall-Griffiths has significantly expanded the scope of her classroom," as O'Rourke explains her ability to adapt and develop programs for the future. "She has successfully created and grown the online teaching program for the Department of Communication. To her credit, Dr. Randall-Griffiths has not only developed ten courses for both the 7-week and 12-week corrections format, but she has taught the courses, recruited top scholars/teachers in the field to teach for Ashland Online, and trained those faculty in the successful methods of online instruction."

Dr. Randall-Griffiths also works tirelessly outside of the AU classrooom as a lay leader in her church, as one of driving forces in the two-decade success of Ashland Chautauqua which has been recognized at the local and state level for its contribution to civic life in Ohio, by blending her intellectual curiosity and performance studies background into programs being offered across the country celebrating the centennial of the Women's Right to Vote, as well as being recognized by the Ohio Communication Association with their "Innovative Teaching Award."

Dr. Randall-Griffiths will be recognized publicly for her award at the Academic Honors Convocation in the fall of 2020 when she will acknowledge her honor with a brief speech on the theme of engaged teaching and learning in higher education.

The Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award, first presented in 1997, was endowed by former Jeromesville residents the late Edward and Louaine Taylor as a way of supporting high quality teaching at Ashland University. The Taylor Teaching Award Committee, whose purpose is to select the award recipient, reviews submitted materials of faculty members who are nominated by students, faculty or department chairs.

All full-time faculty with a minimum of three years of teaching experience at AU are eligible for the award. Recipients of the award cannot repeat for three years and no faculty member may win the award more than twice. The recipients receive a medal to be worn with academic regalia and a stipend.

Bateman Case Study Team

Each year, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) hosts the Bateman Case Study Competition, which provides college students across the country the opportunity to gain experience planning a comprehensive public relations campaign with a real-life client.

Five AU public relations students participated as part of campaign team CountAUIn in this years competition. The campaign was dedicated to assisting the U.S. Census Bureau by working to ensure college students and other select publics understand the importance of completing the Census and how and when that is done.

The first public every Bateman team was tasked with understanding and reaching was undergraduate students at their academic institution. The second public, Ashland County Amish and Old Order Mennonite residents, were selected after careful research of the Ashland community. Team members conducted primary and secondary research to understand what these populations knew and did not know about the census and how to best reach each population with key messaging strategies.

Full story at ashlandcomstudies.blogspot.com

URCA Cancelled

Due to the unfortunate and inappropriate Zoombombing that we experienced this morning during Oral Session I, the URCA Symposium has been cancelled for today. We have been informed by Information Technology that there is no way to guarantee that we can prevent this from happening again. The URCA Symposium Committee will be meeting this afternoon to discuss the best way to accomplish this.

I sincerely apologize for not being able to recognize the amazing research and creative activities that our students have done throughout the year in our virtual symposium. I wish to thank them for their willingness to convert their presentations to the virtual format.

Dr. Swanson

URCA 2020 Zooming Live on 4/15

Ashland University’s College of Arts and Sciences is going virtual for the eleventh annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) Symposium which will feature 41 presentations and exhibitions given by 75 students and alumni representing 27 programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. The April 15 symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and is free and open to the public through various Zoom meetings which are listed on the schedule at ashlandurca.blogspot.com.

According to Dr. Christopher Swanson, URCA Symposium Committee Chair, "Based on the positive response to alumni presentations in the past couple of years, this year will again offer research presentations by two arts and sciences alumni, Paul Dyczkowski and Dr. David Werner. Their presentations will be featured at the first Oral Session from 9 - 10:15 a.m."

Paul Dyczkowski (2013) was raised by an artist who is also a factory worker which guided him into seeing the art behind the machine, and into sensing a grander architecture and architect behind the daily rumblings of our lives. After studying English, Creative Writing, and philosophy at AU, art and especially reading and writing remain critical to both his day-to-day life and career. Now employed by a technology company that prides itself on problem-solving and for supplying makers, thinkers, and repairers with whatever type of hardware they need, poetry remains integral to who he is. Written and verbal communication is imperative where he works, and quickly identifying what type of problem is at hand and fixing it as smoothly as possible is of paramount importance. Having studied what may get hidden or lost in words helps his career, and also drives his personal life. In his presentation "Speak to the Rushing Water: I Am - Reflections in Poems," Paul will share a few poems that revolve around his thankfulness and awe in looking at this world that we can constantly change with all the tools at our disposal, tools both physical and otherwise.

Dr. David Werner (2001) graduated with a double major in biology and chemistry. Following graduation, he continued onto his graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine specializing in neuropharmacology, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is currently a tenured associate professor and Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at Binghamton University, State University of New York, where his lab focuses on intrinsic and extrinsic developmental factors related to substance use disorders, primarily alcohol. His presentation "The (Not So) Good, Bad, and Ugly: Adolescent Alcohol Exposure" will give an overview of our current state of understanding of adolescent alcohol use vulnerability, its relationship to alcohol use disorder later in life, and novel translationally relevant preclinical interventional conduits.

A complete presentation schedule with online links and abstract booklet can be accessed at ashlandurca.blogspot.com.

URCA 2020 Going Virtual

Stay Tuned! Rumor has it that the 2020 URCA Stymposium is still happening #VirtualResearch #VirtualCreativity #CantStopUs

4-Part Series to Study the Tyranny of Communism

In collaboration with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and the Ashbrook Center, the Ashland University College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference will host a 4-part series designed to inform and create awareness about the tyranny of communism including:

• A viewing and panel discussion of The Lives of Others, an Oscar Winning Film about a member of the East German Secret Police who conducts surveillance on a writer and an actress
• A lecture on Czech dissidents under the Soviet Union’s Satellite State of Czechoslovakia by Dr. Flagg Taylor, an expert on Totalitarianism
• Talks by two victims of communism:
• Grace Jo who escaped the horrors of North Korea
• Enrique Altimari, an advocate for the Venezuelan Republic and a vocal critic of the Socialist Party’s rule under Chávez and Maduro

All four programs are free and open to the public.

The series begins on Wednesday, Mar. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Myers Convocation Center with a film screening and panel discussion of The Lives of Others. The movie follows a member of the East German Secret Police (Stasi) who is conducting surveillance on a writer and an actress, and finding himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. It is a beautiful, tragic story about life under tyrannical government. The film will be followed by an audience discussion of the film with Maura Grady, Department of English; Rene Paddags and Greg McBrayer, Department of History & Political Science.

On Thursday, Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Room of the Myers Convocation Center, Grace Jo, a defector of the brutal Kim regime in North Korea, will share her personal story of survival with the campus and wider Ashland community. Grace was born in North Korea and lost most of her family to tyranny and starvation before escaping to China, later resettling in the United States. “My life completely changed after I came to America,” she said. “I think that’s called freedom. It’s a very cherished thing for my family and for me.” Grace became a U.S. citizen in 2013. 

On Monday, Mar. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Myers Convocation Center, Enrique Altimari, a dissident and critic of his native Venezuela, will explore the downfall of the Venezuelan democracy and will describe the coordinates of the regime’s ideology. He will focus on lessons learned from the process and warn against the use of reductive ideologies and populist-messianic politics.

The series will conclude on Thursday, Mar. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium with a lecture by Dr. Flagg Taylor about Václav Havel, one of the leaders of the Charter 77 movement in Communist Czechoslovakia. Havel was an astute analyst of how an ideological tyranny sought to dissuade its inhabitants from being truth seekers in their everyday lives. Taylor will consider Havel’s arguments, discuss how he sought to encourage truth seeking through his essays and plays, and consider what lessons Havel’s writings might have for us today.

PR Students Partner with Veteran's Affairs

Public Relations students are working with the Ashland University Veteran's Affairs office this semester on the creation and implementation of a campaign to build connections with fellow veterans and AU students. These opportunities to get involved in real-life projects help develop students into successful public relations professionals.

West Comments on Oxford's Classics Program Change

Oxford's Classics program recently proposed removing the study of Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid, according to The Oxford Student. Dr. David West, Assistant Professor of History here at AU, weighs in on this controversial decision:

Oxford's Classics program is apparently planning not to make the study of Homer and Vergil compulsory anymore to... Classics majors. This means that the History and Political Science majors in my course this spring on Homer's Iliad and Vergil's Aeneid are getting a better education in the Classics than students of Latin and Greek at Oxford will going forward. Another victory for Ashbrook and Ashland University! Although students don't read these epics in the Greek or Latin original in this course, they do, nevertheless, read the epics, and engage with foundational ideas about honor, courage, heroism, warfare, political power, the nature and role of divine power in human life, the human passions, and the place of human beings in the cosmos. Homer and Vergil's poetic exploration of these themes has continuously elicited responses from the greatest minds of the Western tradition, from Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero to Dante, Milton, and Nietzsche.

Read more at  historyandpolitics-au.blogspot.com

Randall-Griffiths Performs at Tulsa Suffrage Celebrations

Communication Studies Professor and Director of the Online Communication Studies Program Dr. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths was recently featured on Good Morning Tulsa for her portrayal as suffragette Carrie Chapman Catt during the city's Women's Suffrage Commemoration events.

Events of the day, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th

Dr. Randall-Griffiths as Carrie Chapman Catt
Sharon King Davis as Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Rebecca Marks Jimerson as Ida B. Wells

Amendment, included Living History performances, during which Dr. Randall-Griffiths gave a keynote portrayal of Chapman Catt, a march and rally, and opening of the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum's "Votes for Women: Striking a Four-Letter Word from the Constitution" exhibit.  Additional Living History performances were given by suffragettes Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida B. Wells, and Susan B. Anthony.

Fleming Wins Prestigious PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award

Dr. Fleming, Professor of English at Ashland University, was awarded the highly prestigious PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel award for the "Art of the Essay" category in New York City. Her book Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio's Natural Landscape was chosen from an impressive list of finalists.

Previous winners of this award include such literary giants as: Ursula K. Le Guin, James Wolcott, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Marilynne Robinson.

Read more about the award here: pen.org/literary-award/

Juried Student Art + Design Exhibition Opens March 5

The Ashland University Juried Student Art + Design Exhibition opens on Thursday, March 5, in the Coburn Gallery with a reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. This exhibition will offer $950 in awards to student artists, including Best in Show, Honorable Mentions, Bernini Award, Dean’s Award, Alumni “Wink” Award, AU Permanent Collection Award and the People’s Choice Award. The awards ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. Read more at ashlanduniversityart.blogspot.com

Celebrating the 19th Amendment with Catt

In observance and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing and protecting women's right to vote, the Ashland University College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference will present Dr. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths' living history performance of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt on Monday, Mar. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Carrie Chapman Catt was president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1920 when the 19th amendment became part of the United States Constitution. This performance will highlight the early efforts occurring long before Catt became involved in women’s rights, along with her own part of the woman suffrage story.

Presented in a Chautauqua format, the performance by Dr. Randall Griffiths, Professor of Communication Studies, will begin with a pre-show slide presentation on the suffrage movement with music to orient the audience to the theme and context while serving as a lead into the performance which includes three parts:

1. An in character monologue
2. An in character Q&A session with the audience
3. An out of character Q&A to cover broader topics, including controversial aspects of suffrage work, and things that occurred after Catt’s death

Winter Choral Concert, Mar. 1

The Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers and Women's Chorus present a concert to relieve our cabin fever on Sunday, Mar. 1 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The eclectic program will offer everything from a Mass to songs with Shakespeare text and a popular song from a movie soundtrack. The concert is free and open to the public. Read more at ashlanduniversitymusic.blogspot.com

AU Math/Computer Science Dept. Hosts ACM 12 Competition

Ashland University's Math and Computer Science hosted the ACM 12 competition on Wednesday, February 5. Eight students from local high schools participated in the competition. Dr. Steven Scheirer was the Competition Manager.

The ACM 12 is for students in grades 12 or below and under 19.5 years of age on the day of the contest. The ACM 12 covers the entire high school curriculum including trigonometry, advanced algebra, and advanced geometry, but excluding calculus. It is a 25-question, 75-minute, multiple choice examination in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills.

These competitions are administered around the country. It provides the opportunity for high school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. This is the first in a series of competitions that eventually lead all the way to the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Reed & Jones Perform Clarinet/Piano Recital, Feb. 17

The Department of Music presents a concert tonight featuring Dr. Thomas Reed, Professor of Music, on clarinet, with guest artist and Ashland native, Kevin Jones on piano. The free, public concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts.

For his 35th consecutive annual faculty concert at Ashland University, Dr. Reed will perform a program of classical pieces with Mr. Jones including Cantilene by Louis Cahuzac, Gordon Jacob's four-movement arrangement of Tartini's Concertino, and Paquito D'Rivera's Two Pieces for Clarinet and Piano. After an intermission, they will return to the stage for Carl Maria von Weber's Grand Duo Concertante, Op. 48.

A Conversation on Gun Violence & Social Trauma

The Ashland Center for Nonviolence and the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board are co-hosting a conversation on Gun Violence and Social Trauma on Thursday, Feb. 13, at noon in room 115 of the Dauch College of Business and Economics on the Ashland University campus. The event is free and open to the public.

“We all know there’s a huge debate about gun rights and access to guns going on in this country,” said Dr. Craig Hovey, executive director of the Ashland Center for Nonviolence. “Some of that discussion is about restricting gun access among people who are thought to be a danger to themselves or others.” Hovey said there are a number of important questions surrounding gun violence, trauma and what society calls mental illness. “We decided we needed to hear from experts representing a wide variety of fields,” he said.

Panelists will include Dr. William Vaughan, AU professor of philosophy; Dr. Allyson Drinkard, AU assistant professor of criminal justice and sociology; Steve Stone, executive director of the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board, and Jordan Ballinger, a policy analyst with Disability Rights Ohio. Hovey will moderate the conversation.

Mamma Mia! Opens on Friday

Ashland University Theatre continues its 2019-2020 Season of Stories of Courage with the musical, Mamma Mia!, featuring ABBA's greatest hits, opening on Valentine's Day, with 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 14, 15, 21 and 22, and a Sunday 2 p.m. matinee on Feb. 16 in Hugo Young Theatre. Tickets at 419.289.5125 or Ashland.edu/Tickets.

Directed by Dr. Teresa Durbin-Ames, Associate Professor of Theatre, with music direction by Deborah Logan, the show uses the storytelling magic of ABBA's timeless songs which propel this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship.

Corporate Social Responsibility Panel, 2/12

Together with the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and Conscious Capitalism, the Ashland University Political Economy Program will host a panel discussion on Corporate Social Responsibility on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Myers Convocation Center. The event is presented as part of the Environmental Lecture Series and the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which are both focusing on the theme of "Liberty and Responsibility." The event is free and open to the public.

The panel will consist of Jon L. Pritchett, President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy; Signè Thomas, Project Director for the Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education at Florida State University; Josh Harrison, President of Improving - Columbus; and will be moderated by the AU Political Economy Director, Dr. Greg McBrayer.

Community Band Rehearsals Begin 2/11

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) continues its twenty-seventh season with its weekly rehearsals on Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Center for the Arts' Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Under the direction of Ashland University Director of Bands Joseph Lewis, Jr., AACCB is for those that loved playing in band in high school or college and want the opportunity to play again. Performances for the ensemble this spring include a performance at the University with the Ashland University Symphonic Band on Sunday, May 3 at 4 p.m. More at ashlanduniversitymusic.blogspot.com

Webb to give reading, Feb. 6

Paige Webb, administrative director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program and managing editor of publications at Ashland University, will give a poetry reading Thursday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. in Ronk Lecture Hall inside the Schar College of Education. The event is free and open to the public. More at
news.ashland.edu

CAS Faculty Claim 6 Mentor Awards

Please join us in congratulating six faculty from the College of Arts & Sciences for being recognized by the Board of Trustees with a Mentor Award! Mentor Award recipients are nominated by a student and are selected by a committee of Board members via a blind review process.

Congratulations to:

• Dr. Dolly Crawford, Biology
• Dr. Jeff Weidenhamer, Chemistry
• Dr. Mark Rubin, Criminal Justice
• Dr. Stefan Swanson, Music
• Dr. Iyad Ajwa, Computer Science
• Dr. David Aune, Religion

Two French Films Remain

The Tournées Film Festival at Ashland University concludes this week with two more French film screenings showing on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Ronk Lecture Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

On Jan. 28, Mes Provinciales (A Paris Education) is Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s fresh spin on a time-honored narrative tradition. The audience follows the life of aspiring filmmaker and university student Etienne Tinan, using the time-honored themes of solitude, devotion, hope and hopelessness.

The series concludes on Jan. 29 with 2018’s Tazzeka, which also is the name of the Moroccan village that is home to Elias, an aspiring chef who finds nothing is what he imagined when he leaves his hometown for the roaring traffic of Paris.

Art Faculty Exhibition Opens 1/23

The AU Art and Design faculty exhibition opens Thursday, Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m. with a free/public reception and continues through Feb 23, featuring the work of Cynthia Petry, Keith Dull, Priscilla Roggenkamp, Dan McDonald and Michael Bird. This annual event highlights the works of the current faculty members as professional artists exhibiting in their prospective areas. Read more at news.ashland.edu

OSU Prof. to Detail His Work on Improving Local Air Quality Measurements

Dr. Andrew May, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic  Engineering at The Ohio State University, will present details about his work in improving the measurements of local air quality on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Ronk Lecture Hall. The event is presented as part of the Environmental Lecture Series and the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which are both focusing on the theme of "Liberty and Responsibility." The event is free and open to the public. More info at cas-symposium.blogspot.com

Ashland to Host OPCICA Honors Festival

The Department of Music is honored to host the 2020 Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association (OPCICA) Honors Festival culminating with a free, public concert on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. The 2020 OPCICA Festival is organized by the association's president, John Packard (Mount Vernon Nazarene University), along with the local hosts from Ashland University, Joseph Lewis and Dr. Scott Garlock. Read more at ashlanduniversitymusic.blogspot.com

Call for 2020 URCA: Workshop 1/21 | Abstracts Due 1/31 | Symposium 4/15

The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium Committee is pleased to announce the Call for Abstracts for the 11th Annual College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) Symposium. Students who wish to present at the Symposium should contact a College of Arts and Sciences faculty member who can act as a faculty sponsor. When the project is ready, the student should work with the faculty sponsor to prepare an abstract and submit it to the URCA Symposium Committee by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020.

The URCA Symposium committee will hold an abstract writing workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Patterson 324 to assist students in polishing their abstracts.

The 2020 Symposium will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. See the full details at ashlandurca.blogspot.com.

Tournées Film Festival Returns for 6th Year

Ashland University’s Department of Foreign Languages will host a Tournées Film Festival in January featuring five recent French films and one classic film. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will take place each evening at 7 p.m. on Jan. 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 in the Ronk Lecture Hall in the Schar College of Education.

The festival, which is presented in collaboration with Ashland University’s College of Arts and Sciences, was made possible by a grant from the French-American Cultural Exchange received by Dr. Richard Gray, associate professor of foreign languages, who organized the festival. Gray is the only professor in the Midwest to have received this grant six of the last seven years. Read more at news.ashland.edu

Byndas Passes Actuarial Exam 5

Michael Byndas, a 2017 Actuarial Science graduate, passed the Casualty Actuarial Society's Exam 5. Byndas is only one exam away from being ACAS designated. Congratulations, Michael!

Kirkus names APP to "Best Indie Poetry of 2019"

KIRKUS REVIEW named Ashland Poetry Press Publication Save Our Ship by Barbara Ungar as one of their "Best Indie Poetry of 2019" selections.

A collection of 57 poems that sound alarms about current ecological, political, and cultural trends. Read more at englishatashland.blogspot.com